The history of the game of golf has been well documented and to this day it is properly characterized as a single player sport in which each player is totally responsible for his or her own play. Each player is the only one who touches his own ball or plays it. Except for scoring and conversation on the tees and greens, it is truly in individual sport. Any action, speech or other activity on a part of another player during the time that a player is in action, addressing the ball or swinging, is considered as discourteous, at best, or a violation of the rules and, in either case, totally unacceptable.
We have viewed the game of golf has being a basic platform which can be modified in the certain extent, to allow dual player interaction in striking the ball, so that dual player cooperation is essential for successful play. The net result is a series of two party team competitions in which the individual skills of the players are subordinated to their degree of cooperation and in their willingness to allow one player to act as a team captain during the act of striking the ball. As a side issue to this team captain status, we have designed a number of games in which team captain status may shift from one player to another for individual strokes, resulting in a highly entertaining competition between teams and with little or no opportunity for serious golf.
Fundamental to the games is the principle that the players of a team switch sides periodically, e.g., after each stroke, so that skills connected with either left or right handedness between competing teams tends to be equalized. This game in fact forces communication between team members.
Since the use of long irons and wood clubs involves major exertion and the need for precise control of the swing to gain the necessary distance, we have instead selected the golf putter as the club for dual player use and the step of putting to a hole or target practice cup by a team as the game play.
One advantage of our golf putting game is that vast experience or skill in putting is not requirement for success. Rather, the cooperation of each two person team members allows even novice or non-golf players to participate and have an enjoyable time. Even if they are teamed with an experienced golfer, the game contemplates that each player may act as team captain alternately so the novice or non-golf partner may be responsible for an excellent putt if their command capability is effective.
The basic club employed in this competition is a two-shaft putter, with the shafts each extending upward and outward from each other in the normal angle and length of conventional putters, but the shafts are located at opposite top edge regions of the putter head. In play, each player may assume a normal putting stance and use a normal putting stroke after addressing a ball in normal mode, with the single exception that one player swings from a normal right hand position and the other player must simultaneously swing from a normal left hand position. This gives a degree of awkwardness for a right hand player putting left-handed and for left-handed putter putting right handed. However, the game procedure for switching sides after each stroke equalizes any advantage or disadvantage. Additionally, the two shafts must be swung simultaneously and evenly if the putter head is to strike the ball at the correct normal angle for successful putt.
The only additional items used in this game, in addition to the putters required, are a ball, a target or cup, an actual or simulated green, and a scorecard.